Meet U.S. House Candidate
Cait Conley
New York 17
Challenger
Why This Race Matters
New York politics is dominated by the Democratic party which holds a massive voter enrollment advantage and controls all statewide offices, both US Senate seats, and a majority of the congressional delegation—19 Democrats and 7 Republicans. Democrats have controlled the State Senate since 2019 and the State Assembly since 1975. The political landscape is currently defined by a rising progressive and Democratic Socialist movement, particularly in New York City. Generally, however, the state is more conservative and Republican in upstate and suburban counties. NY 17 has some 80,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans although Conley’s opponent, Republican Mike Lawler, has held this seat since 2023. He was re-elected in’24 with 51.3% of the vote. Lawler is one of only three Republicans in the 119th congress to represent a district carried by Kamala Harris in 2024 making this race a key Democratic target as a “flip” opportunity. Lawler has been loyal to Trump while simultaneously trying to present himself as a Republican moderate with a bi-partisan legislative record. Given the makeup of his district and the fact that Trump is extremely unpopular in New York, his ties to the president are likely to be a liability. The race is rated Toss-up by the Cook Political Report, Sabato’s Crystal Ball, and Inside Elections. This may be the most vulnerable Republican seat in November..
Hear directly from candidate Conley in this short video:
Background + Experience
Cait Conley attended the United States Military Academy at West Point graduating in the top 2% of her class. She earned Master’s Degrees from both MIT and Harvard. Conley served 16 years as an active-duty Army officer, deploying for six tours of duty to combat zones including Iraq and Afghanistan. She broke barriers as one of the first women in Special Operations leadership and was awarded three bronze stars for her performance in combat operations. While in uniform, Conley was Director for Counterterrorism on the National Security Council in the Biden White House. She then worked in the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to protect the security and integrity of elections.
On the Issues
Conley’s campaign has emphasized reducing housing costs and increasing affordable childcare and healthcare. Specific issues, which are detailed on her campaign website, include:
- Lower costs for Hudson Valley families
- Clean up corruption
- Fix America’s broken infrastructure
- A safe America and the integrity of American democracy
- Invest in tackling climate change as a national security crisis
“Protecting what makes this country great is why I’m running, because the politicians who created this mess are not going to be the ones who fix it."
(Campaign Launch Video)
“...tonight the primary ends and now our true mission begins, and that is a mission we begin together and will finish together. It's about trust that someone is going to fight for working families, for our country and for the values that define America. The Hudson Valley deserves a representative who puts service above self, who puts country above party, and who puts working families above special interests. Tonight, everyone can hear this message loud and clear."